Arin talks about the IPv6 move

Arin may not be a household name, but it is rather important in your everyday life. Arin stands for American Registry for Internet Numbers. The organization is the driving force behind the move to IPv6.

The internet was built on IPv4, but recently has been out-growing that system. That original structure was 32-bit and could handle four billion computers. That may sound like a lot, but current world population hovers at seven billion and many of those people are using an IP for a home computer, one for a smartphone and one for a work computer — multiple computers within a home network only take up one IP address. IPv6 will provide trillions of addresses.

Many major internet companies made the switch in 2012, though IPv4 still works as well. There is a lot more involved than you may think — the video below goes into some detail, including home automation, smart grids and a lot more. Its fascinating stuff for any geek.